Eleven-year-old Sadie is having a rough year. Her best friend moved away, her older brother is a jerk, as always, and her grandfather is slowly losing his memory. She is delighted, however, when she finds Dewey, a stray dog in the woods and discovers they can communicate telepathically. Dewey ends up in a shelter and scheduled for euthanasia, however, and her two moms, one of whom is a veterinarian, think he is a bite risk. They also feel Sadie isn’t ready to care for a pet because she has a processing disorder.
Sadie commits to saving Dewey and her grandfather comes up with a way to hide him. This leads to some hijinks, but the story is really about relationships, doing what is right even if it goes against the rules, and of course, the love of a dog. While the telepathic connection between Sadie and Dewey might technically make this a fantasy tale, that is the only such element, and perhaps not too far from the real bonds that people have with their pets.
A warm and uplifting tale.
One mom is White and one brown-skinned; Sadie and her brother are “gold and sand”-skinned.
